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A Dublin priest and former teacher in his seventies who was convicted of indecently assaulting a teenage boy in the sick bay of a boarding school in Co Cork has been given a two year sentence with 12 months suspended.

Tadhg O'Dalaigh, 74, of Woodview, Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Dublin had denied a single charge of assaulting a boy at a school in Carrignavar, Co Cork on dates in 1980 and 1981.

A jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court took less than two hours in February to find the pensioner unanimously guilty of the charge he was facing. The victim was in the region of twelve years old when he was abused.

The court heard that the injured party, who is now in his 40's, had been in a sick bay in the Sacred Heart College when O'Dalaigh entered the room and touched his genitals under the bed clothes.

Mr O'Dalaigh, who remains a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart order, received a two year sentence from Judge Brian O'Callaghan. However, he suspended the final twelve months of his sentence.

In a statement read in to the court the man who was abused said he had suffered from suicidal ideation arising out of the treatment meted to him by the priest. He suffered from anxiety and low self worth because of the abuse and also had to deal with alcohol addiction. He started drinking in school to try and get the assault out of his mind.

Judge O'Callaghan heard that O'Dalaigh had previous convictions from 2014 and 1999 when he pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting two other boys whilst teaching in the 1980s.

Counsel for the defence, Shane Costello, said Mr O'Dalaigh, had pleaded not guilty to the charge because he didn't have any memory of abusing the boy. However, he could recollect him as a pupil.

Mr Costello said that O'Dalaigh accepted his guilt. He said his client wanted to apologise "profusely and sincerely" for the damage done to his victim.

The court heard that Mr O'Dalaigh had agreed to a Child Protection Safety Plan where he had no contact with children which he had complied with and that the likelihood of reoffending was low.

Judge O'Callaghan said a jail sentence was merited in the case as it involved a huge breach of trust on a young man. He directed that O'Dalaigh continue with the child safety protection plan which was previously put in place.